From Nov 2006

Poured from 12oz bottle a dark red with a nice large head of foam that settled to a solid layer and lasted for the entire session.

The smell is delicate but there's some nutiness there with some smoke.

The taste has some sweet caramel notes and a bit of nutiness on first sip but that's immediately taken over by the smoke. I'm not saying this is a hugely smokey beer but the other flavours are just too delicate and easily succumb to the smoke character. I was hoping for something more complex and well, better...:^(

Bottom line: There are some Ft Collins beers that I really like, some that I think are ok, and then there's this one. Not my cup of tea at all and I can't recommend it.

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy reddish orange/copper color with a 1 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light toffee/chocolate, herbal, light pepper, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light toffee/chocolate, herbal, light pepper, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light chocolate, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from bitterness, lightly increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy, lightly sticky, and slightly chalky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 6%. Overall this is a very good American brown ale. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a beautiful ruby color, with a medium, frothy head that leaves a persistent film and good lacing. The nose is peat and hickory smoke, bitter pecans, pine sap, and pumpernickel. Sweet and malty, with a pretty strong bitterness that balances and dries it out well. Medium to heavy body, thick, and a little acerbic. This is a big, malt forward ale, and quite tasty.

Bottle courtesy of nuplastikk, thanks! Dark clear ruby maroon color, thin light tan head. Aroma of cocoa, subtle dark fruit. Taste has prunes, plums, chocolate. Not bad.

12oz bottle. Filtered brown body. Thin beige head. Starts off pretty classic and true to style but finishes kind of thin and hollow. Allows the malts to shine in a unique way, this does come off as a Strong Ale despite the semi-reasonable ABV. I like Brown Ales, but this really lacks life. OKish.

Bottle: Slightly hazy brow with a small tan head. Toasty caramel, nut scent. Taste is the same....a little metallic/herbal, slightly bitter nuts, toffee malt. Decent, average.

On tap at the brewpub,
Clear dark amber with a medium sized beige/yellow head, good lacing. Aroma of toasted malts, toffee and hazelnut. Flavors of toasted malts, hazelnut and vanilla
I’m not a fan of Hazelnut beers, but this was nicely done.

Bottle. Pours brown with white head. Nose and taste of malt, toasted bread, grape and light spice. Medium body.